Mombasa!

Hey readers!

Sorry again that it has been a while.  I hope you have all been enjoying the spectacular British summer or maybe even the summer somewhere else if you have been as lucky as me to have been on a holiday.

In my case I have just visited one of the most vibrant and cultural continents of the world, for the first time in my life.
I have been fortunate enough to have visited Africa, and where in particular you may wonder, well... I spent the last 3 and a half weeks in KENYA! 

Kenya has been an important part of both my mum and dad's heritage because they were both born there, so it was very exciting for us to be visiting the country for the first time.

It was definitely the holiday of a lifetime!

Our first stop in Kenya was Mombasa, where we were to stay a week. Mombasa was a definite stop on our travels because it was the birthplace of my dad. Not only was he born there but he also grew up there until he left for university. Mombasa was a very special place to him and I was so excited to see what it was like.
As soon as we arrived at the hotel, the sun was shining on what seemed like paradise. It was the perfect end to a very long and tiring flight. We were staying at the Sarova Whitesands Resort located on the North coast of Mombasa, and it really could not have been a better choice. The resort itself was gorgeous and placed right on the beach.

Here is the luscious view from our hotel room

After a well needed rest we headed down to the beach bar and enjoyed a lovely cool refreshing drink of madafi (coconut water) which is my mum's absolute favourite. It felt so nice to be in such an exotic setting clutching onto a fresh coconut.

The next couple of days consisted of swimming, walks on the beach, reading and eating lots of yummy food! It really was a great relaxing start to the holiday.
Of course holidays are not complete without taking lots and lots of exotic snaps to really take in where we are and also to look back upon in our cold and dark winters, where a picture of any palm tree would send trickles of warmth back into us. Here are some shots we took of the hotel grounds which were so well presented, really making us feel like we were in some kind of tropical heaven.

These gorgeous beds really fit in well with the scenery and were perfect for kicking back on with a book in the afternoon sun

maxi skirt: Forever 21 (2013)

These stepping stones were a great touch. I could not resist walking across them each time, even if there was a much easier and quicker route. 

Stepping stones to Paradise

Blending into the background with my tropical playsuit- a purchase from Primark in Summer 2012

A restaurant overlooking the sunny beach

The gorgeous pools with the sun shining down on them, showing that refreshing blue which is making me want to jump in right now!

The Beach

 The beach view from our room

Late morning walk in the low tide
top: Topshop (3 years ago)
shorts: H&M (this year)

the evening view from a stroll along the beach

Looking back on those pictures again has brought me back into the holiday blues state.

It really was such a pretty destination and I just want to go back already! 

Another thing which is a key to a good holiday and a key in everyday life to be honest is... have you guessed? FOOD!

The food at the Whitesands is known to be delicious and these rumours and previous reviews were spot on! Everyday there was a wide range of culinary beauties, and I am not just talking about dinner. The breakfasts every morning, were to die for and I am not even a breakfast person normally. 

Even if it meant having to be out of bed by 9am, I was there! I would normally start out with the home made doughnuts and then have a fresh fruit juice, followed by dishes you would think should be served at dinner. Of course they had all the standard full English breakfast foods and also things like pancakes which for me are like a once in a blue moon treat. One breakfast was Indian themed and they had Idli (a South Indian dish of soft rice cakes and lentil soup), Pav bhaji (mashed vegetable curry eaten in a bun like a burger) and much more. It was so filling that I didn't even need to eat a proper lunch.

Sometimes I ended up going up about five times to get more food!

The decoration alongside the food. This really re-enforced freshness being at the heart of all the dishes

Dinner was also just as yummy with again a vast range of continental dishes. Another thing to point out was the sheer choice for vegetarians like myself. There were no problems whatsoever with there being a lack of vegetarian dishes as one side of the buffet more or less seemed to be dedicated to meat free choices. To top that off, you could even request an alternative if there was something cooking which had some meat in it. You could ask the chef if it was possible to make a veggie option of what they were making out at the front and they would do their best to make the dish right there and then for you without the meat. One example of this was a pasta dish which contained seafood, but in less that 5 minutes a whole new one was made for us. The service was absolutely brilliant, there never seemed to be anything that was impossible. Now I wish I could get that kind of service here in the UK!

The drinks were also amazing and I loved the fresh fruit juice cocktails which you could order.

My favourite was the Coco Loco, (love the name) which incorporated fresh passion fruit, other fruits with a layer of coconut milk at the top! It not only looked lush but tasted heavenly...

Although relaxing at the hotel and joining in all the activities was really fun, we couldn't just stay in this bubble for the whole week, after all it was my dad's hometown! On the Sunday we went to visit the Jain temple in the heart of Mombasa, where my grandfather used to played a big role in the early days when it opened.

It looks so stunning here with the clear blue sky in the background.

The one thing which surprised me in the temple complex was the calmness and tranquility of such a busy place despite being located next to a fairly busy road.

Opening my third eye- this is a Jain ritual when entering the temple 

My dad had always told us stories of the Mombasa Jain temple and to see it in reality brought those tales alive, of him running around and playing with his friends as a little kid. We even got to see where he used to live which was a ten minute walk away. Although we could not see it that well because of all the changes since then, at least we got some idea of what it was like.

On the drive back we also saw one of his old schools which he claimed has changed so much as he never even knew it used to be anywhere near the sea from the way it was built before. 

Driving through Mombasa was a cultural experience in itself, seeing all of the locals go about their daily lives. Everyone was so colourfully dressed and they always seemed to have beaming smiles pinned to their faces.

The Last Day :(

All good things have to come to an end and yes, Mombasa was unfortunately coming to one. We decided to spend the last day soaking up more rays and enjoying the surroundings we were in. 

There was one thing which we had wanted to do all week and immediately after breakfast we got ready and headed to the beach. We were going to go Snorkeling in the reef! So we hired a glass bottom boat and set off. 

A panoramic view from the boat

Chilling from the top of the boat

The sound of the water whooshing beneath us made it such a relaxing experience and for a moment or two I just switched off and let myself be a part of this ambience in the middle of the sea.

Snorkeling was a really great experience and the water was so clear, blue and warm.

There is definitely something about swimming in the sea which you just cannot compare to a pool! 

The tropical fish were so beautiful to see and it was definitely one of those times where I wish I owned one of those cameras which could capture underwater.

Another thing which I had wanted to do all week was a camel ride along the beach, and that evening my mum and I hopped onto a camel and away we went!

Trousers: River Island (2013)

The one thing that scared me the most was falling off when getting down from the camel, but I am pleased to say that I successfully managed to get down without any embarrassment!

It really was such a memorable experience and going along Mombasa beach as the sun was beginning to set, made it the perfect setting.

 I would definitely go on a camel ride again!

So as our last evening drew into a close we were feeling sad, however it really was only just the beginning as our next stop was the Masai Mara where we were going on Safari!

Bye Bye Whitesands :( or otherwise known to me as Para Para Paradise!

Join me in my next post about my first ever Safari Experience!

Jaina...Xx

Necklace Crazy!

Hey again!

Can you believe how amazing the weather has been recently? I am astonished that it was consistently warm and sunny for a good 2 and a half weeks! This is the reason I have not posted more recently but I assume you were all out enjoying the sun too as much as you could :)

This time I have decided to do a post about one of my favourite trends in jewellery at the moment, as I just cannot get enough of finding new and exciting necklaces.

At the beginning of the year, I kept seeing all of these gorgeous necklaces in magazines and I just fell in love with the idea that such a bold piece of jewellery had the ability to brighten up a plain outfit. When I was younger the trend tended to be more in longer necklaces, but now the higher neck ones are much more popular. I was always a fan of wearing big earrings rather than necklaces, but after seeing the many variations of these stunning pieces I was converted.

I am now seeing them all the time in High Street shop jewellery sections and they are forever causing temptation, BUT I have to put my foot down sometimes because at the end of the day, yes I am a student. The really nice ones can also be very expensive, some starting at 15 or 20 pounds which I feel is a tad pricey for a necklace as you could get a top or maybe even a dress for the same amount. 

Below, I have found 6 really different and stunning pieces which most importantly are on budget...YAY! 

1) From Forever 21 (unsure on exact price, between £4-£8)

I love this one just because it is so versatile and goes with loads of outfits. It is simple yet really adds something more to an otherwise plain outfit. The design is also really classic and I hope to wear it until it is worn out. The price too was fantastic and I could not be more pleased.

 Forever 21 had a really wide range at the time I got it which was January this year but I have not visited recently. The last time I did go in May, the range was very disappointing and I struggled to find one necklace in this style. 

2) Primark- 3 years ago

I picked up this beauty a few years back and I am so glad that I did! As soon as I saw it I just thought it looked really pretty and never anticipated it to go with much... but I was wrong!

 At first I didn't wear it a lot but these past 2 years I have found it to go with more and more outfits! Above I am wearing it with just a simple cream H&M top and also H&M denim shorts. It was on a really hot day last week and this statement necklace really made the outfit a lot more interesting. 

Coral is my favourite summer shade and while I thought I could only wear it with dull colours like grey, black and white... I was wrong!

This cobalt blue and coral combination is a dream and I just cannot get enough of it. Definitely one of my new favourite outfits  to wear with jeans/leggings. 

Of course it was from Primark and I do not remember the price fully but it can't have been more than £5 which really is amazing value. I think with Primark you can find a really good piece once in while but just be careful that all the gems and stones are stuck down properly so you are not buying into something which will have a very short life!

3) Miss Selfridge (unsure on price as it was a present) 2013

It was a couple of weeks before my birthday and my friend asked me for some ideas on presents. One thing that was on the top of my want list at the time was a high necked necklace with a neon colour theme. I had gotten this idea from somewhere (probably a magazine or seeing an outfit where the neon necklace had sparked it up) so this is what I suggested.

Weeks later I was thrilled to open up my present to see this Miss Selfridge piece, and wow she had found one which was spot on! It is such a nice simple shape and the 4 different colours really look good against each other. It is my summer companion and great to wear with a top which picks out one of the colours. I picked out the yellow from it once and wore it with one of my favourite Forever 21 tops. 

 Neon is really hot at the moment and I keep seeing neon themed necklaces in most High Street stores so keep an eye out if that is what you are after to complete your summer look!

4) New Look 2011 (£5-£6)

The purpose of this purchase was to find a necklace which needed to match a dress I had. Ever since the day I bought it however, I have found it to go with lots of tops and add a nice splash of colour e.g. to this light grey top I am wearing in the photo as without the necklace it would look pretty plain.

 I am known by my friends to be a lover of orange clothing and accessories. I am just one of those people who adore bright shades such as coral, orange and yellow.

 I paired it up recently with a really nice basic New Look orange maxi skirt and a black crop top to wear for dinner with my friends, and I loved how it looked (will definitely be wearing this combination on many more occasions).

5) New Look (£4.99- May 2013)

I just could not resist picking up this simplistic but on trend piece. For £4.99 too (and of course student discount on top ;) ) it was a good bargain. Here I have teamed it up with a Topshop crop top, a coral cardigan and  some skinny jeans. I feel like this one is more suited for daytime wear however I have seen a few people wearing it on a night out and it does work if you are not going out somewhere too dressy. New Look also sell it in silver but I picked gold not only because it is my preferable choice out of the two but also as the gold was not too bright. I would definitely recommend this to anyone after a low budget, simple item of jewellery which is not too showy and very versatile.

 I am a fan of the arrows and triangles at the moment and my current project is to find some nice triangular stud earrings similar to the ones on this necklace!

6) New Look (again)- July 2013 £6.99

link here

This is my most recent addition and as soon as I saw it I fell in love. I am a big fan of the whole tribal look and this incorporated a blend of red, blue and white woven threads in a gold plate with spikes then coming down from it. For me it just stood out amongst all the others, and many people around me at the time were eyeing it up. So if you are a lover I recommend that you go and snap it up quickly to avoid the disappointment of it not being there or out of stock.

I wore it on a night out with my friends as shown here with a very plain outfit and the necklace really sparked it up. Before my love for necklaces it would be about buying a new outfit for a night out, but in this instance I did not even need to do that as the necklace did all of the work for me (plus it probably worked out a lot cheaper than a new top/dress). Another good thing about buying jewellery is I never feel as bad as when I buy clothes, this is probably not the right mentality to go by but it does complete one of those unsuccessful shopping trips by buying a nice piece of High Street jewellery.

So there they all are! My six favourite (and only) high necklaces. There are many more styles which I am after so I am sure the obsession is yet to continue and my eyes will still be looking out for another eye catching piece. 

There was one particular one which I saw when watching this years Wimbledon which my eyes clamped onto immediately!

This is the wife of the Ukranian tennis player, Sergiy Stakhovsky who had an outstanding win against Federer in this years champioships.

 I really love how this necklace incorporates the gorgeous colour of Anfisa's blazer and stands out! The colours of the necklace remind me of the colours of a parrot so it gives out very exotic vibes. We shall see if I can find something similar in terms of the colour scheme and style displayed by Anfisa, but meanwhile I will adore her version with much jealousy!

Well I hope you enjoyed this post and I wish you all good luck to finding your own statement necklaces to complete endless amounts of outfits and add a very glamorous touch!

Jaina...Xx

A Sunny Day at Cardiff Bay

Sorry it has been a while! Summer becomes so hectic at times with everything going on and it has been hard to find some time to actually write.

I thought I would write this post about my weekend in Cardiff to visit a university friend. The weather over the past couple of days has been so lovely and warm and we were so lucky to have such beautiful weather over the weekend.

As everyone had really busy schedules we only really got to spend one full day in Cardiff but that one day was definitely worth it!

By the time we had gotten ready and out of the house, it was already one o clock so we only spent an hour or so in the city centre. I really loved the city centre for shopping because of the spacious environment with lots of choices in terms of the shops. While shopping we even managed to catch a few minutes of the women's Wimbledon final on the big screen outside where there was a really lively atmosphere amongst the locals in the long awaited summer weather. 

After a brief shopping trip (which did involve some new purchases) we spent the rest of the day admiring the beauty of Cardiff bay in the gorgeous sunlight!

 My outfit

Skirt: Miss Selfridge (2013)

Top: River Island

Cardigan: Topshop

Here I am looking out onto the view from a tasty ice cream place called Cadwalader's, a chain cafe with many of the cafe's being situated within Wales. A sunny day out is incomplete without an ice cream, and after an early dinner we headed towards the busy cafe. As I was still quite full up I wanted to go for something refreshing and light, so I chose the sorbet, which was a great choice! It was a tango sorbet (like the drink) which is very different, but was so mouth watering and very fruity. It was exactly the kind of choice I was going for, so I couldn't be more pleased.

I loved it so much that I was sad when it was gone!

 My friends both went for the coffee and walnut which they also both loved! 

The spot we were sitting in was so relaxing and we loved the view so much that we decided to take some more summery snaps while we were there!

A calm moment gazing out into the distance.

To finish the day off, we took a nice stroll along the harbour before heading back. The cool breeze was perfect and it was such a beautiful evening around the bay. 

A classic group photo to end our day at the bay. (Shame about the shopping bags in the way but it does represent the day)

Throughout the day the bay had been full of people but in the evening it became even more vibrant with live music playing while people sat outside with food and drinks. It was such a lively atmosphere and for a moment it really felt like I was on a summer holiday in somewhere like Spain or Italy. 

As we walked home the sun was starting to set and it was looking so beautiful that I could not resist taking one more snap of the road back to my friends house.

It was definitely a day to remember and I recommend it to all of you. If you have no plans this year for a big holiday then take a trip to Cardiff and if you are as lucky as me to get such amazing weather, I guarantee you will fall in love with the city! 

The next day came and we didn't want to leave but come midday we had to say goodbye to the welsh city and head on back into London where soon after we reached we were very happy to find that Andy Murray had won the Wimbledon final which really was the cherry on top to a really lovely summer weekend away!

Jaina...Xx

The Perfect Summer Salad

One of the best things about the summer season is all of the fresh foods which you tend to get more of and also have more of an appetite for. Exotic fruits and gorgeous salads are those foods which summer would just not be the same without!

Salads are great to eat as they're so light meaning you can eat them on their own or alongside something like bread to make it more filling. They are great to have at lunch times out in the sun and of course they are super healthy too!

Here is a really simple idea for a salad which you can whip up in about 10 minutes and is so delicious. 

There are three key ingredients for this salad:
1) Spinach (Baby spinach works well)
2) Asparagus
3) Cherry tomatoes

Firstly if the spinach is already washed then just place into a bowl. Then chop the asparagus in small pieces and the cherry tomatoes in either halves or quarters.

I like the use garlic to add more of a flavour, so if you are also a fan of garlic then dice some garlic finely and leave this separate for the moment.

Next take a pan, preferably a shallow one however it does not matter too much. Add some olive oil to the bottom and let this heat up. Then when you think it is hot enough, add the garlic and let it sizzle for a bit. 

You then add in the asparagus and cherry tomatoes. Keep stirring so that it doesn't stick and add some seasoning like salt and pepper and some herbs such as oregano. Lemon is also another great flavouring so add lots of squeezes of lemon.

Let it simmer on a medium heat for a round 7 minutes. You can check the texture of the asparagus and judge yourself when it is done according to how you like it.

Then you simply add this mix to your bed of spinach, mix it in and taste. It may need a little more salt and pepper and maybe some more lemon but this is all up to you according to how it tastes.

And there you go! A quick and easy salad that tastes amazing! I just love how the tomatoes are a lot softer and juicier after cooking it, which contrast well to the crispy crunch you get from the asparagus. 

The tomato and asparagus mix is also great to put in bagels with houmous. I tried it out the other day and loved it. Was an amazing lunch time idea!

I hope you enjoy it if you do decide to try it out. I 100% recommend it and it definitely beats the ordinary salads you may be used to. 

You can also add a variety of other things to it such as broccoli and red onion, so go wild and experiment!

Jaina...Xx